


Grieftale

by JazzyJazz98



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Deviates From Canon, F/F, F/M, Five Stages of Grief, Grief/Mourning, Hope vs. Despair, Hurt/Comfort, Illusions, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Retelling, This story's a bit more...depressing than the original
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-01
Updated: 2017-04-13
Packaged: 2018-09-21 06:26:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,772
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9535769
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JazzyJazz98/pseuds/JazzyJazz98
Summary: We all know how the story goes.Humans and Monsters once lived on the surface as equals, but that all changed when the Humans declared war. The monsters that weren't slain were pushed into the depths of the Earth, sealed away for eternity. Despair swept over the small kingdom, forcing the Monster King, Asgore Dreemurr, to find a way to bring hope to his people once more. But it's not the way you might be thinking of. Not in this story.Centuries pass, and Frisk is the 7th human to fall into the Underground. Will their Determination be enough in this world of despair? Or will they, too, fall victim to grief?





	1. Fallen Down

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this a while back and put it up on the Undertale Amino. I'm posting it here to give people something to read while I get over my writer's block for Taken: The Re-imagining. Worry not, my children; I have not abandoned it, like a quiche long forgotten by its owner. For now, have an AU I thought up. It's story it's similar to the canon, but there are quite a few differences. It's nothing big or crazy like Outertale or something like that, but I think it's different enough to be it's own little minor AU.

Frisk awoke with a start, their emerald eyes fluttering open. Groaning, they sat up in a bed of white lilies, rubbing the side of their head as they looked around. They seemed to be in a dark room lit only by the sunlight that poured in through the gaping hole far above them. What was this place? The child could recall from the old stories that monsters lived in the infamous Mount Ebott. Was this their home? Were they...friendly? Frisk got to their feet; there was no time to worry about that. It was time to explore this strange, new world.

Frisk walked along the path into the next room. Like the first, it was nearly pitch black aside from a spot of light in its center. Illuminated by the light was a small buttercup. It seemed normal enough, but as Frisk grew closer, it...moved. It turned to Frisk, a smile on its...face?

“Howdy!” it greeted in a cute, high-pitched voice. “I’m Flowey. Flowey the flower. Hmm, you’re new to the Underground, aren’tcha? Looks like someone’s gonna have to teach you how things work around here. Looks like lil’ ol’ me will have to do.”

Frisk gasped as everything around them turned dark. They could only see Flowey and a small, glowing, red heart hovering in front of them.

“See that heart?” asked Flowey. “That’s your SOUL, the very culmination of your being. You humans have very powerful SOULs, even someone at only LV 1, like you.” Flowey paused, noticing the child’s confused look. “Oh? You wanna know what LV is? Why, LOVE, of course. You get it when you battle monsters, which you’ll be doing down here. I’ll show you how it works.”

Frisk wasn’t entirely sure they wanted to know how to fight, but Flowey had already summoned a few, white, pellet-like objects. 

“You ready?” Flowey began. “Dodge these attacks as best as you can.” The pellets began closing in. A bead of sweat ran down Frisk’s forehead as they braced themselves. The attacks grew closer, and closer, until…

“Flowey!”

Frisk blinked. Everything had suddenly returned to normal. Flowey lost the smile, and was now huffing irritably as a tall, goat-like monster appeared behind him. She had a look of disapproval on her face.

“You troublesome thing...I have told you before that we do not fight our guests. That was quite uncalled for.” The buttercup just scoffed carelessly. The goat-woman wagged her finger. “You know better, Flowey. Now apologize.”

“Meh…” Flowey rolled his eyes, glancing at Frisk. “Sorry. I guess.”

“Do not be afraid, my child,” the woman said to Frisk. “Flowey is harmless, even if he is a bit of a grump. Ah, where are my manners? I am Toriel, caretaker of the Ruins. I was on my way to see if anyone had fallen down. You are first human to come to this place in a long time. Are you hurt at all?”

Frisk shook their head.

“Good, good. I would hate for something to happen to our new friend.” Toriel glanced at Flowey, who scoffed.

“Yeah, yeah, don’t rub it in…” Flowey then muttered under his breath, “You old goat…”, before vanishing into the ground. Toriel shook her head.

“He will learn one of these days…” she muttered, before smiling at Frisk. “Come, small one. I will lead you through this place.” With that, Toriel turned on her heel, her lavender gown swishing with each elegant step she took. 

Frisk stood there for a moment, their pounding heart the only thing they could hear in the echoing silence. Could they really trust this woman? She was a monster, after all… Frisk could remember the illustrations from the old tales...the wicked demons with sharp teeth, blood-red eyes, and a lust for devouring SOULs. Still...this Toriel seemed nice enough...and Flowey...while not quite as cute and friendly as Frisk first thought, he was friends(?) with Toriel. Either way, there was no going back. Frisk continued ahead.

The scenery changed in the next room, the inky blackness being replaced by a cozy yellow. Frisk had stepped into a small room, the walls a subtle, off-white color, but lit gold by the flames of the wall torches. A dual-staircase led up to the next room; Toriel was standing near its entrance, smiling down at Frisk. On the floor were more beds of white lilies, droplets of water still resting on their petals, as if someone had recently watered them. But what caught Frisk’s attention the most was the yellow glint of light coming from the flowerbed below the staircase. The child approached it, reaching down and touching it. 

An instant surge of warmth and tranquility filled their body. The could almost hear a faint voice, no louder than a whisper, speak out to them:

“The shadow of the Ruins looms above, filling you with Determination.”

With Toriel closely at their side, Frisk traversed through the Ruins. It was a truly impressive place, resembling the crumbling remains of castles Frisk once saw in their old storybooks. It was as if they were walking in a strange fairy tale, where monsters took the place of humans. Oddly enough, there didn’t seem to be any other monsters aside from Toriel and Flowey, if he was a monster. Noticing their searching eyes, Toriel spoke.

“Looking for other monsters, are you?” she asked, to which Frisk nodded. “Ah...you will not find many monsters in the Ruins. They have moved out into the rest of the Underground long ago, leaving this once busy castle to become the crumbling Ruins you see before you.”

Puzzled, Frisk asked why Toriel was still in the Ruins if everyone else had left. A solemn look formed on her face, making Frisk instantly regret it.

“I just...I just prefer to stay alone, innocent one,” she replied softly. “Er...besides, I have Flowey for company. And I do get guests from time to time. Who knows, perhaps you will meet them when the time comes.” Toriel fell silent, staring ahead with an expression Frisk couldn’t read. The child decided not to pry further.

It wasn’t long before they reached a long hallway. Toriel stopped, turning to Frisk. She had a very serious look on her face, one that made Frisk a bit nervous.

“Child…” Toriel began. “I have something I must ask of you. I would like for you to walk to the end if this hallway...by yourself.” She backed away, and paused. A sort of...pained look flashed in her eyes. “Please...forgive me for this.” 

Suddenly, she rushed down the hall. A surge of panic raced through Frisk as they followed as fast as they could, their hair trailing behind them like a scarlet blaze. The length of the hallway was absolutely absurd; they couldn’t even make out Toriel’s figure up ahead anymore. Eventually, they arrived at the end of the hall, meeting...no one. Toriel was nowhere to be found. However, there was a very interesting looking pillar near the doorway...As they approached, they could hear the pitter-patter of fluffy feet. They called out Toriel’s name, and instantly, she appeared, smiling. Although...Frisk could’ve sworn the fur under her eyes looked...oddly wet…

“Worry not, child,” she said, her voice quivering just slightly. She cleared her throat. “I did not leave you. I was merely behind this pillar the whole time...Thank you for trusting me...There was a reason for this exercise. I needed to test your independance. I must leave you alone for a while, and...I need to know you will be alright on your own for a while. Can you promise me you will be alright?”

Frisk nodded immediately. Toriel bit her lip, taking a moment to think. She suddenly perked, reaching into the pocket of her robe. 

“Here, take this.” She pulled out a very ancient-looking cell phone, handing it to Frisk. “If you need me for anything…” She paused, looking Frisk dead in the eyes. “Anything...you call me. As I said...not many monsters are in the Ruins, but the few that remain are either friendly...or hold a terrible grudge against humanity. Please...if someone attacks you, call me at once. Stall for time. I will come as soon as I can to resolve the conflict.” The motherly goat hesitated for a moment, before backing away to the exit of the hall. “...Be good...alright?”

With that, Toriel left. Frisk stood where they were, listening to Toriel’s footsteps until they gradually faded into silence. Suddenly…

Ring!

Ring!

Click…

“Hello, my child!” Toriel’s voice came from the other end. “It is I, Toriel, calling to check up on you. Are you...doing alright?” Frisk shakily replied, “yes”. Sensing the alarm in Frisk’s voice, Toriel let out an apologetic chuckle. “My apologies if I startled you...It is rather silly to be so worried, but...I just worry about you, dear. We may have only just met, but...I could not bare it if something happened to you...So, please, small one, enjoy your time in the Ruins, but be cautious. I shall see you soon. Farewell, my child.”

Click…

Toriel was a very...protective woman indeed...

Putting the cell phone into the pocket of their denim pants, Frisk started to walk out of the hall, when something compelled them to looked back the way they had came. They weren’t sure why; they hadn’t even expected to see anything. But to their surprise, they spotted...movement from the far end of the hallway. Their curiosity piqued, Frisk walked back down the hall. As they got closer, they could make out the golden petals of a buttercup...Flowey. He was watching Frisk, a strange expression on his face as he studied them. But in the instant Frisk had gotten close enough, Flowey disappeared into the Earth, as he had done earlier. Frisk stood there in the silence. That was...odd...But Frisk knew they couldn't focus on that now. They had to move on. And with that, Frisk left the hall, beginning their journey through the Ruins.


	2. The Barren Ruins

Frisk entered the next room, barely having a chance to take in their surroundings when their phone suddenly rang.

Ring!

Ring!

Click…

“Hello?” A familiar, motherly voice began. “This is Toriel. How are you, my child? Where are you now?” Frisk explained that they had only just left the hallway Toriel had left them in. There was a silence. “Oh...oh, dear...I could have sworn more time had passed since I left. Forgive me, child; Sometimes, I get so worried, I start doing silly things, similar to this. Fear not, however; I shall try not to be so overbearing. Have a nice time in the Ruins, dear one. Goodbye.”

Click…

Putting their phone away, Frisk was finally able to take a look around. More beds of lilies decorated the crumbling room, the edges of their petals tinted yellow from the wall-torches. With all the white coloring, Frisk had almost missed the nearby frog-like monster. It blinked at him, its eyes glistening with sadness. Curious, Frisk approached it, greeting it politely.

“Oh...hello, human…” the Froggit croaked slowly. It paused, letting out a sigh. “Have you noticed how quiet this place is? You haven’t run into a single monster aside from Toriel, have you?” Frisk shook their head. “Most monsters have left this place, living much better lives. However, allow me to give you some advice, just in case. Be careful of what you do. Try not to go around spreading DESPAIR. Act kindly towards the monsters down here, and if you can...spread a little HOPE, human. Ribbit.”

The Froggit fell silent, allowing Frisk to be on their way. It was then Frisk became...curious. They tried speaking to the Froggit again. The Froggit didn’t repeat what it said before, but instead, a prompt appeared, seemingly out of nowhere. 

*DO YOU WISH TO FIGHT?

YES NO

Although Frisk’s last experience with fighting made them rather...cautious about wanting to try it again, the feeling of curiosity pushing them on. They made their decision; everything suddenly went black.

Frisk and the Froggit stood before each other in the inky void. The Froggit stared up at Frisk, terrified, bracing itself for some sort of attack. Three options were laid out in front of the child:

DESPAIR ITEM HOPE

While the item option made a bit of sense (although it was useless, considering Frisk had nothing), they were confused as to what “DESPAIR” and “HOPE” meant. Remembering what the Froggit had told them, they decided to stay away from the DESPAIR option and focus solely on HOPE. Now, there was just the one option: to compliment the Froggit. Seeing how life seemed to be quite hard for the small monster, Frisk did just that, telling them that such a wonderful Froggit like itself had a place in this world, and that it would one day find it. The Froggit’s dark eyes widened, before its cheeks grew a gentle shade of pink. The corners of its mouth tugged upwards in an attempt to smile.

“Why...thank you, Human…” it croaked. The Froggit seemed to be feeling a bit better, thanks to the gift of hope, and with that, the battle ended as quickly as it began. With their first fight a success, Frisk left the Froggit be.

The journey through the Ruins continued. As Frisk carried on through the echoing, empty chambers, solving puzzle after puzzle, they started to feel the slightest bit unnerved at just how quiet the Ruins were. Constantly noticing Flowey out of their eye didn’t help in the slightest. Why was that strange, little flower even following after them in the first place? Well, as long as he didn’t try to hurt them…

Ring!

Ring!

Another call from Toriel, it seemed. Frisk answered it.

“Hello? This is Toriel. My apologies for bothering you so soon, but I must ask...which do you prefer: cinnamon or butterscotch?”

Hmm...what an...odd...question. Still, Frisk decided to be nice. They chose cinnamon.

“Ah, I see. Thank you.”

Click…

Frisk walked onward...for about two seconds, before their phone rang again.

“Hello, this is Toriel,” the goat woman began. “You do not DISLIKE butterscotch, do you? I know what your preference is, but...would you turn up your nose if you found it on your plate?”  
Frisk assured her that they had absolutely no problem with butterscotch. “Yes, I understand. Are you doing alright, by the way? Have you met any monsters?” Frisk explained that they only met the one Froggit, and that they were quite nice. “Ah, how lovely. I am sorry there is not much to see in this place, but I am glad no one is causing you any harm. I shall leave you for now. Goodbye, my child.”

Click…

Frisk couldn’t help but smile; even if Toriel was quite worrisome, they could tell that she had a good heart. That was something they hadn’t expected from a race normally depicted as savage killers on the surface, but it was something they appreciated. Onwards they went...for another two seconds.

Ring!

Click…

“Hello,” Frisk could hear the apologetic tone in Toriel’s voice; even she knew that this was starting to get a bit ridiculous. “This is Toriel. You do not have any allergies, do you? Hmm? Why am I asking? ...No reason, no reason at all…”

The conversation was incredibly short, but it left Frisk rather curious. Of course, they wouldn’t find out what the goat woman was planning until they reached her home, so Frisk carried on.

 

Well...this was an odd sight…

Frisk had entered a room that had two exits: one straight ahead to a room full of cobwebs, and another that led to the next hallway. Frisk couldn’t get to either of these exits, however, for lying in the center of the room, blocking off the walkway, was a ghost. It was a very strange-looking ghost, being a dark shade of grey. Their eyes were blank and lifeless (fitting, for a ghost), and they made no noise, even when Frisk approached them. The child couldn’t squeeze past them, and when they spoke to them, they only let out a quiet, ghostly moan. There was no other choice; Frisk would have to move them by force.

The battle began with the message, “Napstablook lingers there, waiting.” Frisk’s three options appeared, and, of course, they chose hope. They could either flirt with the miserable ghost, or cheer them up in some way. Frisk felt a tug at the corner of their mouth at the option to flirt and decided to try it out.

“i’d just weigh you down…” Napstablook murmured, tears forming from the corners of of its eyes. The tears rained down on Frisk. One of them made contact with their SOUL. Ouch! How could a small tear hurt like that? Frisk dodged the magical tears to the best of their ability, until Napstablook decided to stop.

Frisk tried to cheer them up this time, telling a cute little joke. Napstablook stared at the child for a moment, before letting out a small, “heh…” They suddenly turned a lighter grey. Could it be? Was the grey coloring a sign of despair? A look of determination form on Frisk’s face as they dodged another round of tears, and cheered again. Again, the ghost let out a slight laugh, and it grew lighter it color. Frisk cheered one more time, but this time Napstablook asked to show them something. They cried again, but their tears moved upwards, forming into a top hat.

“i call it…”dapper blook...do you like it…”

Frisk flashed them a kind smile, and gave them a thumbs-up.

“oh…” The battle ended there, the ghost now being a very light grey, almost white. “i usually come to the ruins to escape my problems for a while...and today, i meet someone nice...oh, i’m starting to ramble. i’ll get out of your way.” Napstablook faded away, allowing Frisk to pass through.

 

Finally, Frisk had reached the Ruins’ end, entering a small yard. In its center, a large, dying tree stood, dry, red leaves blanketing its roots. Beyond the tree was a little house, a warm, yellow light coming from the open doorway. More beds of white lilies had been planted in front of the house, a similar-looking light coming from beneath the petals. Frisk approached it, touching it and feeling that warmth once again.

“Seeing such a cute, tidy house in the midst of the cold and quiet Ruins gives you determination…”

Feeling all set, Frisk entered the home. They were greeted by a sweet smell...cinnamon? Butterscotch? The house was quite cozy, with walls that were a very pale yellow, a decent contrast from the greys and whites of the outside. Toriel’s voice was coming from the other room, a living room, it seemed. Frisk entered the room, seeing the female monster in question standing before the fireplace, talking to someone over the phone. 

“...They should be here soon,” she was saying. “I think you would really like them; they seem to be quite nice. I have actually been meaning to call in and check up on them...I hope they are alright…” Toriel then perked, glancing over her shoulder and spotting Frisk. She then spoke to whoever was on the phone again. “Nevermind, it seems they have arrived. I shall have to call you again later, dear. Haha, I love you too...Goodbye.” Toriel hung up, turning to Frisk with a smile.

“Greetings, my child,” she began. “Welcome to my home. I trust you had a nice, peaceful walk through the Ruins?” Frisk nodded. “Ah, lovely, dear. Oh, do you smell that? Surprise! I have baked you a cinnamon-butterscotch pie. I thought you would be quite hungry, and since your arrival is quite special, I decided to hold off on snail pie for tonight. Oh, and there is one more thing I would like to show you. This way.” 

Toriel walked off down the hallway, Frisk following behind. She led them to a corridor that had three doorways. Toriel stood before one of them, a look of anticipation on her face.

“Tada!” she exclaimed. “I have prepared you a room of your own. I do hope you like it…” Her hand reached out, gently stroking the mess of hair atop the child’s head. Her crimson eyes gazed at the child’s face for an...admittedly uncomfortable amount of time. She must not have realized what she was doing, as when Frisk backed away, she gasped. “Oh...I am sorry...you just...for a moment, you…er...nevermind, I-I should go and check on the pie…”

Toriel rushed off quickly, leaving Frisk in the hallway. It was then Frisk realized just how tired they were. They decided to enter the room. It certainly did look like that of a child’s, with dust-covered toys and the foot of the bed, some drawings on the walls varying in quality, and, oddly enough, a chest containing shoes of various sizes. There were also some photos on the dresser. They were quite dusty, but Frisk could make out the forms of...other humans...They decided not to worry too much about it, hopping into the bed, which seemed to fit them perfectly. Not a second after their head hit the pillow, sleep took over.


	3. Painful Memories

Frisk's bedroom door opened with a soft creak, Toriel stepping inside. In her hands was a plate carrying a single slice of butterscotch-cinnamon pie. The monstress walked up to the side of the bed, smiling down on the sleeping child. As silently as she could, she knelt down, setting pie down on the floor for Frisk to see when they awoke. Toriel was prepared to leave, but...something compelled her to stay. Her gaze fell Frisk's gentle, sleeping face. Silently, she sat on the edge of the bed, bringing up a hand to gently stroke the child's hair. She tilted her head. For some strange reason...she was reminded of something from centuries’ past…

"No," she suddenly said aloud, shaking her head. She paused, before letting out a sigh. "Do not be foolish, old girl. There are far more important things to worry about than dwelling on the past." 

Giving Frisk one last glance, she slowly exited the room, the door shutting just as Frisk began to stir. The child sat up in the bed, yawning and rubbing at their eyes. Looking over, they saw the slice of pie, and climbed out of bed to pick it up. Despite its mouth-watering aroma, something told Frisk that it was better to save it. Into their inventory, the pie went.

They headed out, their boots lightly padding against the wooden floor and they wandered down the hall. They decided to check out the other two doors. The first led to what Frisk assumed to be Toriel’s bedroom, with a queen-sized bed, a dresser full of socks (How scandalous!), and a diary...entirely full of puns. Oddly enough, there were drops of liquid staining the pages...tears? Toriel seemed to have done a lot of crying since Frisk had been in the Underground, but what for? There had to have been more behind that woman’s motherly smile.

Frisk left the bedroom, going up to the next door. It was locked, having a sign attached to it saying, “Room Under Renovations”. Strange, but, nothing to be concerned about. Towards the living room, Frisk walked. Again, they could hear Toriel speaking to...someone...over the phone. Frisk leaned against the wall, their curiosity egging them on to eavesdrop.

"...I know you have been rather busy as of late, dearest, but I do wish you could come and visit,” she was saying. “It has been so long since I have seen my Fluffybuns…”

“Fluffybuns”? Frisk made a face.

“Are you sure you cannot get away from the kingdom for just a few hours?” There was a pause as whoever it was replied.

“Oh…” Toriel sounded disappointed. “I...I see.” There was another pause, and Toriel sighed. “I...I am sorry, but I cannot come.” A pause. “ Yes, yes, I understand that, but...I cannot leave these Ruins. Besides, I...I have to look after the little one here. I hope you understand…” A pause. “Thank you, dear…I had better go now, but perhaps we can talk again later.” A pause. “I love you, too, Gorey...so very much...Goodbye, my love.”

Click…

Frisk waited for a few moments as silence took over, before stepping out into view. The old monster woman was sitting in an old-looking armchair by the fireplace, her nose buried in a book. As Frisk got closer, she looked up at them, smiling.

“Up already, I see?” she began. “Um...I want you to know how glad I am to have someone new here. Flowey is...decent company...but it has been so long since I have heard the pitter-patter of little feet along these floors. There are so many old books I want to share. I want to show you my favorite bug-hunting spot. I’ve also prepared a curriculum for your education. This may come as a surprise to you...but I have always wanted to be a teacher….actually, perhaps that isn’t very surprising. STILL.” Frisk jumped at the surprisingly stern look Toriel had on her face. It was gone almost a millisecond later, replaced with a comforting smile. “I am glad to have you living here. Oh dear, my apologies for rambling; did you need something?”

Frisk hesitated. As nice as Toriel was, and as interesting as her offer was to live in the Ruins with her...Frisk knew that they couldn’t stay in this place. They had to move on if they wanted to return to the surface. But Toriel was such a lonely and sad woman...would it really be fair to just leave her so soon? Frisk shook their head; they wouldn’t bother her about it. Not now. 

“I see,” said Toriel. “Very well, then. If you do need anything, you know where to find me.” Frisk turned, starting to walk off. Perhaps they’d explore more of the house. There was a stairway leading down into the basement that looked pretty--

“Actually...hold on, my child…” Frisk paused, slowly turning back to Toriel. The monstress had an...oddly intense look in her eyes as she stared at them. “Come here.” Frisk stood still for a moment, a sudden chill running down their spine.

Slowly, they approached, stopping just in front of Toriel’s chair. She set down her book, patting her lap. Frisk carefully climbed into the monster woman’s lap. Her robe was soft to the touch, and smelled of fresh linen. Leaning into her, they could hear the gentle beating of her heart, and she raised her hand to stroke their head. It was...nice. The nervousness Frisk was had was slowly beginning to melt away.

“Hmm…” murmured Toriel, her gaze falling down on the child. “It is...so strange…” Frisk glanced up, and they locked eyes. For a moment, there was stillness, the only sound being the crackling of the fire. Then, Toriel spoke again. “We have only known each other for less than a day...but you seem so...familiar, small one. Almost as if...I am meeting someone I once knew and cared for all over again…” She paused, looking off into the distance. The peace was beginning to turn a bit...awkward. “...But that is not possible, child. Things in the past are just that: things in the past. You are not…them.” It sounded more as if Toriel was trying to tell herself this, rather than Frisk, and the child was growing very confused. Still, they said nothing as Toriel continued holding them in her arms, and slowly, they were lulled back into a deep sleep.

 

_“Gorey! Gorey, come quickly!”_

_“Hmm? Tori? Whatever is the ma-- Oh...oh, my…”_

_“Haha, yes...they are sleeping in my arms like a precious…”_

_"Hoho...I must grab the camera. Moments such as these are quite rare."_

_"Indeed...hmm, they have been settling in well these past few days."_

_"Mmm-hmm. And with our little one, they're sure to get into a lot of trouble."_

_"Hehehe! How dreadfully exciting! Hmm...I cannot wait to see what the future brings for us, Gorey.”_

_“Ah yes...a future where humans and monsters can finally live as friends. And it all starts with these two rascals.”_

_“Hehe...that will be a future worth waiting for…”_

 

Hmm...how strange…Frisk awoke to the feeling of moisture on their head. Looking up, they saw Toriel crying softly, her face hidden in her hands. Frisk climbed down from her lap, backing away. Suddenly, Toriel stopped, quietly staring at them in a way that was beginning to make Frisk rather uncomfortable.

“D-Dearest child…” she began, attempting to smile despite her tears. “D-Did I w-wake you? F-Forgive me...come now...I-I shall read you a story, or make you something to eat, or…”

Frisk shook their head quickly, murmuring something about just wanting to go back to bed. Toriel suddenly got up, walking towards Frisk, her arms outstretched.

“Oh! W-Well, then, allow me t-to tuck you in, my child!” Frisk heart began to pound. They had no choice; turning on their heel, they ran off. They could hear Toriel rushing after them, crying out a strange name. “Chara! Come back here! Y-You must come back!”

Spotting the stairway out of the corner of their eye, Frisk rushed towards it, scrambling down the stairs with Toriel hot on their heels.

“Y-You must not leave this place, Chara!” Toriel voice was growing higher-pitched, and more desperate. Frisk hadn’t the foggiest idea of what she was talking about, but they needed to leave. 

Through the dark and quiet hall Frisk ran, rounding the corner and approaching a purple door. There it was...freedom was just out there...all they had to do was make it to that door and…

“Chara!”

Frisk skidded to a stop, staring up wide-eyed at the angry-looking monstress that had just cut them off. Toriel towered over them, breathing heavily, more tears rolling down her cheeks.

“...I...I cannot let you leave…” Toriel took a step forward, while Frisk to a step back. “Y-You...could get hurt out there...I...I lost you once...I-I do not know how you have returned, but...I cannot lose you again...n-not after your brother…”

The frightened Frisk softly told Toriel that they were not Chara, and that they needed to leave, to return home...but Toriel shook her head. 

“No...you cannot go out there…” She said, her voice beginning to grow soft and hoarse. “Y-You are back...with your dear mother...I shall call Asgore, and...he can get rid of that silly Illusion and c-come take care of his little one again...would you not like that, my child?”

It seemed Toriel would not step aside...whatever grief she had over this “Chara” had completely blinded her to reality. It seemed there was no other option now...Frisk would have to fight their way past her. Clenching their fists, they slowly stepped forward. Toriel’s eyes widened slightly.

“...Chara…? What are you--?”

Everything suddenly turned black. A fight had begun.


	4. A Mother's Farewell

It seemed like an eternity that Frisk and Toriel stared at each other in the midst of the dark, quiet abyss. Toriel’s glossy eyes were filled with confusion and the slightest hint of dread, while Frisk’s glistened with determination.

“Toriel cannot let you leave…” the encounter message read. The three options then appeared:

DESPAIR ITEM HOPE

Toriel was in enough emotional turmoil already, so DESPAIR was immediately out of the question. Focusing on HOPE, Frisk was a single option: “talk”. Seeing as they had no other option, they chose it. Frisk explained that they had never even heard of a “Chara” before. Toriel shook her head.

“Why must you tell these lies, my child?” she demanded, her voice growing more and more bitter. “Do you not wish for our family to be together once more…?”

Frisk’s eyes widened in alarm as Toriel's body turned a pale grey. How…? They had chosen to give hope! Suddenly, Toriel’s brow furrowed, and in her hands, white balls of magical fire began to form.

“If you are going to make this difficult…” she began. “Then there is no other choice. You have forced my hand, Chara.”

With that, Toriel suddenly attacked, her gaze drifting off to the side as she waved her hand, a stream of fireballs shooting out of her hand. Frisk dodged, wincing as they took a hit. Toriel's frown deepened. 

"I will tend to that later...after you have returned upstairs."

But Frisk would not flee. They told Toriel that the Ruins was not for them, that they had to return home.

"This IS your home, Chara." A Toriel attacked again, this time, firing them in a helix formation, making dodging especially tricky. Twice, they had gotten hit. A bead of sweat trickled down Frisk's forehead. The fight had only just begun, and already they were down to almost half their HP, not to mention Toriel had grown a darker grey. Still...Frisk refused to give up. 

Frisk told Toriel that they had a home, a family, on the surface, and that they would be sad if Toriel kept them in the Ruins. This seemed to get to Toriel slightly.

"...Chara always thought of us as their family..."

Another wave of fire came, but it was noticeably less intense. Darker, Toriel turned, and she began to shed more tears. It was strange...despite spreading hope, Toriel seemed to be falling deeper into despair. Frisk racked their brain for something, anything, they could do…

“Perhaps Toriel doesn’t need to be talked to.”

It was that same voice from before...Slowly, Frisk checked the HOPE option again. A new choice had suddenly appeared: “comfort”. They chose it. Cautiously, they approached the sobbing monstress...and gently wrapped their arms around her. Toriel blinked down at them, confused.

"What...are you doing?" she demanded. "Do not think such actions will cause my heart to sway." Toriel tried to pry Frisk off, but to no avail; their Determination was stronger than before. Frisk talked to Toriel again, promising her that whatever was causing her to feel sad would come to pass, and that everything will be alright.

"...What are you talking about?" The monstress' eyes glanced off to the side. "I am not sad...I just...I just want you go upstairs, Chara..."

Frisk looked up at Toriel. Despite the old woman's words, her eyes betrayed the pain she truly felt. Finally, they asked Toriel if she really thought that they were Chara.

There was silence. Toriel looked at Frisk again, staring deep into their eyes of emerald. Slowly, her eyes welled up with tears, and with a cry of anguish, she fell onto her knees, taking hold of Frisk's hand. She sobbed, her body shivering violently.

"F-Frisk..." 

Frisk gently shushed her, comforting her again. A moment passed before they felt Toriel's arms wrap around them, pulling them close.

"I...I cannot believe I have allowed myself to become so foolish..." Toriel pulled away, gazing down sorrowfully at the child. "I became weak...I allowed myself to see someone who was not there. ...You are not Chara. Chara..." Toriel looked away. "Chara is gone. I have told myself that day after day...and yet I fooled myself into thinking you were them..."

Another period of silence fell upon them, before Frisk spoke up. They quietly asked Toriel if Chara was their child. The monstress nodded. "Yes...I raised with with my husband, Asgore, and they grew up alongside my beautiful son...But they both...they both..." Toriel bowed her head, silently shedding a few more tears. Frisk apologized, earning a mirthless laugh from Toriel.

"Do not apologize. I should be apologizing for attacking you...I have been trying not to think about it, to get on with my life as normal, but...it did not help, it would seem."

Frisk explained that there was no need to hold in one's emotions.

"..." It seemed Toriel couldn't think of anything to say. Frisk asked if Toriel had spoken about this to anyone. Toriel shook her head. "I...I could not allow myself to be distracted by mourning. I am...quite important down here...monsters depend on me to have a level head...I cannot do that if...that...is on my mind." Toriel paused. "At least...that was what I thought..."

Suddenly, Toriel grew a shade lighter. Frisk's eyes widened.

"I...I feel a that a burden is being lifted off my chest by finally telling someone how I feel," Toriel continued. "I...I am not sure I am ready to go into more depth just yet, but I feel...hopeful that one day, I shall be strong enough to talk about it more." Toriel's lips pulled into a small grin, one Frisk returned. Toriel slowly began her normal colors, and the fight ended there. Toriel stood, wiping the tears from her cheeks.

"Dear child..." she began. "My behavior was uncalled for, and I do hope you can forgive a foolish, old woman. I...I will let you leave this place, if you truly wish to leave, that is. But know this: my door is always open. If you need to rest, or have some more pie, or even just talk a bit, just knock and I will let you in." 

Frisk asked why Toriel would remain in the lonely Ruins still. Toriel glanced off at the wall, a grim expression on her face.

"I cannot face what Asgore has created," she finally replied. "The world beyond this door...it greatly resembles the surface, from the sky to the ground, to its gentle breezes and rushing streams... But it is all a lie, an Illusion Asgore created so that monsters may pretend grief and despair do not exist. He..." Toriel placed a hand over her mouth, breathing in sharply as the painful memory came back to her.

"He made Illusions of those we lost, and they live out there with the other monsters, including the children we lost so long ago...that is why I cannot leave. I cannot face the false happiness. I am sorry, Frisk, but my place is here."

Frisk opened their mouth to argue, but decided against it. Toriel seemed quite set on staying, and, well...they had to get home, Illusions or not. Still...they felt so sorry for the lonesome woman..perhaps things would get better for her...? They hoped so.

"I shall walk you out," said Toriel. "If you are ready to go, that is. You are free to rest a bit, if you would like." Frisk shook their head, taking Toriel's hand. "Very well. Come, my child."

Hand in hand, Toriel and Frisk walked past the door and down the long hallway. Soon, they arrived at a dark room, similar to the one from the beginning of the Ruins. Frisk's heart skipped a beat; Flowey was there, staring intensely at Frisk as they approached him.

"Eh?" he began. "What's going on here?"

"It is time for our human guest to leave and...go out into the Kingdom," explained Toriel softly.

"Hmm…” Flowey said nothing more, simply watching Frisk as they walked past. Frisk bit their lip, and their hand instinctively gripped Toriel’s tighter. Even as they approached the final door, they could still feel his eyes on piercing their back. Trying to shake it off, Frisk watched as Toriel pushed open the door. Side by side, they stood together, staring out at the world beyond. 

The first thing Frisk noticed was the sudden shift from warm to cold. A layer of snow coated the ground, as well as the leaves of the gargantuan trees that lined a single pathway from the door. Frisk’s eyes wandered up, and to their surprise, there was a sky tinted gentle shades of purple, yellow and orange. If Frisk hadn’t known any better, they would’ve assumed they were back on the surface already. But as they glanced up at Toriel out of the corner of their eye, seeing how she looked away from the sight, it was a reminder that this was all just one of Asgore’s Illusions. 

Frisk turned to Toriel, and Toriel turned to Frisk. They shared one last hug, before Frisk stepped out into the snow.

“Farewell, my child,” Toriel whispered, before retreating back into the Ruins, the door shutting behind her. Frisk stared back at the door for a moment, before carrying on down the forest trail. The light of the “sun” seeped through the trees, providing a slight bit of warmth from the cold, and the birdsong coming from the trees was admittedly quite relaxing. Frisk walked on, coming across a stick lying in the middle of the path. It seemed too big to pick up, so they decided to ignore it and walk past it.

SNAP!

Frisk froze, glancing back at the stick, which was now broken in half. They hadn’t walked over it with enough force to break it, and no one was following them...right? Slightly unnerved, but still determined, Frisk continued. Up ahead was a bridge, a babbling brook running underneath it. As they grew closer, they could hear footsteps coming up from behind them. Coming to the bridge, Frisk stopped, their fists clenching as...whoever it was got closer and closer. Finally, there was silence.

“Human,” began a low voice. “Don’t you know how to greet a new pal? Turn around and shake my hand.” Frisk took in a deep breath, and turned. A dark figure, about as tall as they were, was standing there, his hand outstretched. Hesitantly, Frisk took it.

Pffffffffffttttt!

Frisk blinked. The figure let out a deep laugh, allowing himself to be revealed by the light. He was a small and oddly stout skeleton wearing a blue hoodie, black shorts, and white slippers. A small, white pinprick glowed within each of his eyesockets, giving the illusion of pupils. Attached to his hand, which he had now pulled from Frisk’s grip, was a whoopie cushion.

“the old ‘whoopie cushion in the hand’ trick,” he said. “it’s ALWAYS funny. anyways, you’re a human, right?” Frisk nodded, much to the skeleton’s amusement. “that’s hilarious. i’m sans, sans the skeleton. my brother, papyrus, and i were just on our way to deliver a few things to the old lady in the ruins. you’ve probably met her, name’s toriel.” Frisk nodded. Sans glanced around Frisk, before speaking again.

“speaking of papyrus, he’s on his way now. heh, i’ve got an idea. walk across this bridge.” Frisk cocked a brow. Sans gave them a wink. “c’mon, trust me; papyrus loves meetin’ new people, and, somethin’ tells me you’re gonna be here a while.”

Deciding to humor the skeleton, Frisk walked across the bridge, Sans following behind them. At the same time, another skeleton was approaching. He was much taller than Sans, and far skinnier, more like an actual skeleton. He wore a thin suit of leather armor, and a bright orange cloak that fluttered elegantly in the winter breeze. He effortlessly carried a large wooden crate under his arm, filled to the brim with boxes of tea. 

“SANS!” he suddenly bellowed. “THERE YOU ARE! I WAS WORRIED YOU HAD GONE OFF TO LAZE ABOUT AGAIN.”

“heh, no way, pap,” replied Sans. “not when we’re meetin’ one of our...” he pointed to the crate. ““crate” friends.” Frisk could practically hear the rimshot in their head as Sans winked and shrugged. Papyrus let out a loud groan.

“I SWEAR,” Papyrus began. “EVERYDAY YOU BECOME AN EVEN BIGGER DORK!”

“c’mon bro,” Sans said, his already quite cheeky grin doubling in size. “you’re smiling.”

“I AM AND I HATE IT!” Papyrus let out a sigh. “LET’S JUST DELIVER THIS TEA TO LADY ASGORE, AND GET BACK TO THE KINGDOM. I STILL HAVE SO MANY THINGS TO DO TO GET READY FOR--” The tall skeleton cut himself off, his gaze falling on Frisk. “HMM? YOUNG MAJESTY CHARA? WHAT ARE YOU DOING OUT HERE? AND WHY DO YOU LOOK SO...DIFFERENT?” Sans and Frisk shared a glance.

“no, no, pap. this isn’t chara. this is...this is…” Sans turned to Frisk. “what IS your name, kiddo?” Frisk gave their name. “gotcha.” He turned back to his brother. “this is frisk. saw ‘em coming out of the ruins just before you got here.”

“WOWIE!” exclaimed Papyrus. “ANOTHER HUMAN IN THE UNDERGROUND? AND TODAY, OF ALL DAYS... HMM…” Papyrus put his free hand to his chin, a thoughtful glimmer in his eyesockets. “SANS! I SHALL LEAVE THE TEA WITH YOU TO DELIVER TO LADY ASGORE. I HAVE JUST GOTTEN A MARVELOUS IDEA! NYEH HEH HEH!” With that, Papyrus set down the crate, turning on his heel and walking off. A puzzled Frisk turned to Sans.

“guess you’d better get going,” he said. “pap’s got somethin’ special planned for ya. but don’t worry; pap’s isn’t dangerous. he’s just tryin’ to do his job. i’ll explain later, but first…”

Sans approached the crate, standing in front of it. Not a millisecond later, it was gone. Frisk blinked, taken aback, prompting Sans to laugh.

“ya wanna know where that went?” he asked. A dumbfounded Frisk nodded. Sans winked. “heh, same place your stuff goes. i’ve gotta go, but i’ll catch ya later, ok, kid?” With that, Sans walked back the way Frisk had came, towards the Ruins. Frisk decided to walk on. The Underground certainly was an interesting place.

Walking on, Frisk found another one of the yellow, glowing objects from inside the Ruins. The touched it, hearing the voice say to them:

“Although everything around you is quite strange, you are still filled with determination…”

Suddenly, Frisk heard a noise, a noise that almost sounded like...crying...Curious, they followed the noise, stepping off the path and walking into the trees. The crying grew louder and louder, until Frisk came across some sort of bird-like creature, huddled up against a tree and sobbing into its wings. It’s entire body was grey, as Frisk had seen before. Feeling bad for it, the child reached out a hand to touch its shoulder. It jolted, looking up at Frisk with wide eyes.

“Get away…” it said. But Frisk was determined to help. They asked if the bird monster was alright, but this only seemed to irritate it. “I said...get AWAY!”

Without warning, it attacked.


End file.
